President disregarded professionals’ demands – JVP
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the President’s decision to appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister disregarded public demands and proposals by professional and civil society.
This was stated by Dissanayake at a media briefing held yesterday morning.
“Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government plunged our country into a complex economic crisis like we have never experienced in our history, creating a situation in which even the most essential commodities, including fuel and gas, could not be obtained. Wrong economic decisions deprived farmers of fertilizer and shattered the economy. People protested against this and agitated around the country. As the Rajapaksa family and this government did not listen to it, agitations arose at the Galle Face and from other cities and villages. The people of this country unanimously demanded that the plundered public property be taken back and the law be enforced against the swindlers. The Mahanayake Thera, the Bar Association and various mass organizations made various proposals related to democracy. It was emphasized that the people should be given a chance to build a short-term administration and take action to abolish the executive presidency.”
However, he said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had totally disregarded the demands of the people and taken this decision, adding that this is a deceitful act by the President and PM.
He questioned their regard for democracy claiming that the President who had lost the faith of those who voted for him in just two years and the Prime Minister who had been rejected by the people have joined to establish a government. He added that Gotabaya Rajapaksa trusts Ranil Wickremesinghe and vice versa, but the people don’t trust them both. “Today they say they will work together to build the economy. The citizens of this country do not approve of this greedy, dictatorial political culture. Criticising Ranil, he won the votes of the people and now he has formed a government with him. Therefore, it is not only Gotabaya Rajapaksa who should be defeated today. Their ugly, dirty, greedy political culture itself. It must be completely defeated. They did not take this action thinking of the economy or the people of the country,” he added.